BamaBoy

Sunday, August 9, 2009

One advantage that the old gravel drive had was I never notice all the debris that fell on it. Sure from time to time a tree limb would come down and I have to toss it to the side, but I never notice the sweet gum balls, acorns, or leaves. I just drove over them. The new paved driveway really shows the debris, so I bought a blower to keep it clean. It's a cord less blower that uses a 18v nicad battery pack. Worked pretty well doing the drive or the parking area, but not both. The 18v battery pack just doesn't have the capacity to handle both areas on one charge. Most people would just get a 2nd battery pack. However, it takes 24 hours to charge a battery, so I could still only do one area or the other each day. What good is that? I had a better idea...

It just so happens I have two 18v Lithium ion batteries that powers the drill, saws, and flash light that JB left here. It also has a quick charger to recharge the lit-ion packs in a couple hours. So my idea was to use a lit-ion pack to power the blower. Since both are 18v it was just a matter of connecting them somehow. Well with a bit of tinkering I was able to connect the flashlight to the blower and use the flashlight's connector to the lit-ion battery to power the blower. A Velcro strap

holds the two devices together, and a polarized quick disconnect connector keep the two devices safety connected.

I'm happy to say that one lit-ion pack has the capacity to do both the parking area and drive on a single charge. An added bonus is the lit-ion battery pack regulates its output so that the blower motor runs full speed right up to the point the pack shuts down. No more weakening blowing action as the battery discharged.

Since I didn't modify the battery in any way and I used a connector instead of hard wiring them together the blower can still use it's nicad battery if needed and the flashlight still works.

Hey! Another idea just came to me! If I were to spin the flash light around I could have a blower with a work light! SWEET!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

I when up to Toronto on a customer visit last week. Took the 7am Tuesday flight and came back Friday afternoon. It was a busy trip, but Wally was able to drive me around some on the way back to the airport so I could get some pictures (thanks Wally). It was an overcast day so I didn't get what I call any really good pictures, but at least I did get a pretty good shot of the CN tower and the Hockey Hall of Fame.My last trip to to Toronto was in March of 2001. On Thursday, Larry, a retired IBM'er (42 years) invited Wally and I over for a cookout. Larry to this day is still an example of what IBM used to be full of. Men and women who lived IBM's basic beliefs: 1) Respect for the Individual 2) Best possible customer service 3) Excellence in all ways. One of the high point of my 30 year IBM career to be able to work and learn from Larry, and a real honor now to be invited to his home for a cookout.

It's funny, but one of the projects Larry, Wally, and I worked together back in our IBM days was code named BBQ. The project was so named because we were at a cookout at Dan's house here in North Carolina when we decided to take the project on. I learned a lot from Larry doing that project. Management killed the BBQ project, but a lot of what was in BBQ was used in the last project I worked on which shipped 3 releases before I retired.

Larry - Me - Wally

When I think of Canada I'll always think of people like Larry that I'm honored to know, and proud to call a friend.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Mama used to point out every chance she got that if I didn't do better in school I grow up to be a ditch digger. Well I never seriously considered ditch digging as a career, which is a good thing. It's too much work! I've dug ditches from time to time over the years, but never did it for a living. I seem to do it every few years when the memory of the last one fades. So over the holiday weekend I spend about 18 hours using the business end of a pick and shovel to dig a 30 ft long ~ 12 inch deep, shovel wide drainage ditch. The ditch goes around the corner of the parking area and gives the water some place to drain off instead or washing under the parking area.Mama with all her negative reinforcement did me a favor. She knew I was too lazy to dig ditches for a living. Thanks Mom!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Well the 1st brood flew the coop about 3 weeks ago and I cleaned out the box. A week ago I checked and there was pine straw in the cup. Yesterday when I checked there were three Bluebird eggs. She was not in the box when I tapped so she may not be done laying yet. It was a cool 70 and rainy here today, so I didn't want to drive her off if she was sitting. I'll check Sunday and see.

The funny thing is I just put the box up for Gale to enjoy when she was here. It's just out from the front porch, so Gale could view it when sitting out there. I'm totally surprised that I had one brood already, and now on the second clutch of eggs. Bit early to start calling me the Bluebird man. I have to say I've been looking around for the pair when I'm outside. Now if I can just get some bats to nest in my Bat box I'd be happier since the mosquitoes are breeding a million times fasted than the Bluebirds are.

Monday, June 15, 2009

It finally came true. Please, no wise cracks about my other dreams that went bust or were disasters. Accept that this one did and it is something I wanted and wished for since the 1st day I moved into my house 20+ years ago. I've always liked my house. I like the almost 2 acres of woods it's on. I like that the house can't be seen from the street. I like that it has a creek running across the property and the elevation changes. One thing though that I've never liked from day 1 - the driveway.

Most home owners take driveways for granted. I don't. Some people admire homes with beautiful gardens and manicured lawns, not me. I admire a good driveway. Others ooh and ahh over the Bentley or Rolls parked out front to show off. Not me, my heart flutters over the drive they are parked on. Over the years of admiring good driveways I've learned the good ones have one thing in common - they are PAVED! If your driveway is not paved, it might be a lot of things but it's not a good driveway! Sorry, that's just the way it is. I know this because I've had 3 not good ones. I've had one driveway that circled the house, one that angled across in front of the house, and one that winds scenically through the property, and I didn't like any of them for the same reason. They were not PAVED! After a few years, their crushed stone washed away and they each turned into a muddy mess. I replaced one with the next, and each time the replacement pleased me for awhile, but soon - too soon, I would start hating it just like the last one, as it turned into a muddy mess.

So after 5 years with the 3rd driveway - the scenic one - it turned into a muddy mess and I said enough. I called up David who cut the 3rd one in for me and had him come over. David's a good man. Grading is his business. But residential paving isn't, so someone David trusts recommended Champs Asphalt Paving which is located in nearby Wendell, NC. Anthony Champ worked with David and they made my dream come true! I'm now a proud home owner with a good driveway. It wasn't easy - it was mess but they stuck with it. Lesser men would have thrown in the towel and left. But David and Anthony didn't. I'm most grateful to them, and super happy with the result of their hard work. LOOKY what I have! Anit she dreamy! Man, DIG those curves! Woooo Hahh!

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Don't tell Gale, but I went out to water those two plants she got me to buy while she as here (1st plants I ever purchased in the 20 years I lived in my house) and this is what I found was left of them. Some critter is now well feed on some exotic something another plant. Somethings like me having plants were never meant to be. The butterfly bush seemed to not suit their palates and is still mostly there. It was knocked over which is why I figured deer vs rabbits enjoyed the snack.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

This was my 3rd trip to the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. The 1st trips was with Gale about 1992. The 2nd trip was with a friend, Charlie. I remember on that 2nd trip they said the round house was due to open the following June. Well the Round House opened in 1996. Time sure flies, gulp. I have to say I think they've done a good job with it.

I rode the train on this visit. A diesel-electric GC-30 made in 1963. Gale and I rode a steam locomotive when we were there my 1st trip all those years ago. The ride is worth experiencing the leg and seat room. Oh if airlines could match what trains provide. I was lucky enough to get to ride on the rear observation area this time which was a real treat.

The film at the round house and riding the turntable are a must do when you visit. I got a taste of how noisy it must have been when the shops were in operation. Some of the staff were repairing a engine in the restoration section. You can view them as they work behind a glass wall, but it's open to the ceiling. When you hammer (rivet?) on that steel it makes some kind of noise. It's a similar noise that some acid rock bands make - BUT LOUDER. I can just imagine how loud a power hammer forging a bar of steel with 70 ton blows must have been. One of the video display screen said folks in East Spencer knew when they were forging. The shops were open 24x7x365, so I bet there were sleepless nights a lot back then.

I enjoyed my visit, and can say that kids of all ages love trains. Look forward to visiting again when they finish the Back Shop.